Fan attachment for rocking-chairs.



No. 858,247. PATBNTED JUNE 11. 1907. I. E. GILBERT.

FAN ATTACHMENT FOR BOOKING GHAIRS. uruouxol 2mm rn. as, 1001.

I IIIITFBIBE'! 1.

" I non-u PIT-ism innit-cm. I. c.

P A-TENTED JUNE 1 1907. J. B. GILBERT. FAN ATTACHMENT ran 3001mm CHAIRS.

AYPLIOATIOI FILED FEB. 26, 1907.

R'BHEBTS-BHBET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES E. GILBERT, OF CHICAG O, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR' TO GILBERT, HARRIS & COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FAN ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKING-CHAIRS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1907.

Application filed February 25,1907. Serial No. 359,283.

To ,aZZ whom, it flea/y concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. GILBERT, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Fan Attachments for Rocking-Chairs, ofwhich the following is a specihereafter more fully described and claimed as the specification proceeds.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rocking chair having the device of my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the portion of my mechanism which is attached to the arm of the chair. Fig. 3 is a front view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4'4 of Fig. 2 showing the clamp for securing the fan to the mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 2. .Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view on line 66 of Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view on line 77 of Fig. 2.

In constructing the-device of my invention I provide a clamping j aw 10 or other suitable mechanism detachably secured by means of the screw 9 to a rocker 11 of the rocking chair or other. object/to be rocked. On this clamp jaw 10 is a pivot bolt 11. on which is 'journaled a lever arm 13 having on its end toward the front of the chair a roller 15 adapted to bear upon the floor. In the central portion of this lever 13 are a plurality of large holes 12- in which the bolt 11 may be placed so as to fulcrum the lever at different points in its length as desired. In the forward end of this lever arm .13 are a plurality of small holes 17 and in the rear portion of this lever are a plurality of other small holes 13. The numeral 20 represents a cord or belt having on one end a hook 21 orother suitable means adapted to secure it to the bar 13 in one of the holes in one end portion of the lever 13 {in the drawings a hole 18) and on the other end a spring 23 carrying a hook 24 adapted to engage the bar in one of the small holes in the opposite end portion of thelever 13. This belt or cord 20, as hereafter described, communicates power from the lever 13 to the fan mechanism proper and by varying the relative positions of the ends of said cord upon the lever 13 by putting the hooks described in different-holes the travel of the fan may be varied. The variation may be carried still farther by shifting the bolt 11 to a different hole 12. r I also provide in the preferred form of my invention an extension arm 28 having a jaw 29 adapted to fit over the front portion of one arm 30 of the rocking chair, or other object to which. the fan is to be attached, and be secured thereto by a suitable clamping screw 31 screw threaded into the jaw and rotatable by means of the handle 32 in the ordinary manner. Rising from the forward end of this extension arm 28 is a suitable upright 34 having at-its upper end an enlarged bearing 35 and in its lower portion a similar bearing 36. J ournaled in the bearing 36 is a small wheel 37 having in its face a groove 38 in which a belt or cord 20 is adapted to rest and under the tension of the spring 38 bear with sufficient pressure so that when the lever 13 is rocked about its pivotal bolt 11 the belt 20 will rotate this wheel 37 partially or wholly in one direction and then in the other.

Pivoted in the upper bearing 35 is a shaft 40 having extending from it a bell crank arm In the outer end of this bell crank arm 41 is a crank pin 42 to which is attached a connecting rod 43 having its lower end" attached to the crank pin 44 on the wheel. 37 with the result that when the wheel 37 is rotated or oscillated it causes the connecting rod 43 to reciprocate and thus rock the bell crank arm 41. Extending upward from the shaft 40 is another bell crank arm 46, having at its upper end a hole adapted to receive the stem 47 of the fan 48 and have it secured therein by means of the set screw 49. This bell crank arm 46 has, intermediate of its length, some sort of a universal point so that the fan 48 may, in connection with the ,ad-

justments made possible by the screw 49, be turned to fan the person in the rocking chair in a variety of directions. In the particular instance here/illustrated this universal joint consists in a pivotal bearing 5051 adapted to permit rotation in one plane and another pivotal bearing 52,53 controlled by a set screw 54 adapted to permit rotation in another plane. By combining the adjustments of these two sets of pivotal bearings and by loosening the set screw 49' and adjusting the handle 47 of the fan in the upper bell crank 46 the position of the fan may be varied. to any desirable extent.

I prefer to make the wheel 37 of such a size and so proportion the location of the crank pin 44 thereon that with the ordinary stroke of the rocking chair said pin 44 will ordinarily travel in an are equal to less than a half revolution of the wheel 37 with the-result that the fan is given one steady forward motion as the chair goes backward and a backward movement as the chair rocks forward but the wheel 37 may as shown make a complete or more than one complete revolution during a stroke of the chair in one direction without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It will readily be seen that with the device thus constructed it is readily possible to dismount the fan and operating mechanism; to pack the same in small space and that the same may be readily applied to different rocking chairs.

In the operation of the device I mount the parts as shown in full lines Fig. 1 with the roller 15 bearing upon the floor. When now the operator sits in the chair and rocks forward to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 the fan makes more or less fanning movements, depending on the proportions of the parts as heretofore described and ends up in the dotted line position. On the return stroke of the chair the fan moves back to full line position and causes it to operate in the opposite direction. By varying. the position of the hooks 21 along the lever 13 the amount of this travel of the fan may be varied and by adjusting the angle of the fan as described almost any combination result which is desired may be attained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In mechanism of the class described in combination with an object to be rocked mounted on rockers, a member detachably secured to the object to be rocked carrying a bell crank adjacent to the position of the person to be fanned, a fan connected to one arm of the bell crank, a wheel pivotally mounted adjacent to the other bell crank arm, a connecting rod between the second bell crank arm and the wheel and means connected to the rocker for turning said wheel in opposite directions to oscillate the fan as the rocker oscillates.

2. In mechanism of the class described in combination with an object to be rocked mounted on rockers, a lever pivotallymounted to one rocker, a bell crank mounted upon the object to be rocked adjacent to the position of the person to be fanned, a fan connected to one arm of the bell crank, a wheel pivotally mounted adjacent to the other bell crank arm, a connecting rod between the second bell crank arm and the wheel and means connected to the rocker for turning said Wheel in opposite directions to oscillate the fan as the rocker oscillates.

3. In mechanism of the class described, a lever adjustably pivoted upon one rocker of the object to be rocked, one end of said lever being adapted to engage the floor and there being a plurality of means for connecting a belt to said lever throughout its length, a fan pivotally mounted upon the upper portion of the object to be rocked a wheel journaled nearby, means whereby rotating said Wheel reciprocates the fan and a belt passing over said wheel having one end detachably secured in a selected-connecting means in one end of said lever and its other end secured to one end of a spring whose opposite end is selectively secured to the said lever by a connecting means at its opposite end for the purposes set forth.

4., In a fan attachment for rocking chairs the combination of a supporting mechanism, means for securing the same to the arm of the rocker, a bell crank pivotally mounted thereon, means for securing the fan to said crank arm in proper position to fan the person in the rocking chair, a wheel, pivotally mounted adjacent to the second bell crank arm means for connecting said wheel and the last mentioned bell crank arm whereby when said wheel is partially or wholly rotated it rocks said bell crank arm, a lever pivotally mounted upon the rocker of the chair and a belt secured to said lever on opposite sides of its pivotal bearing passing over said wheel, a roller upon one end of said lever engaging the floor on which the chair stands the whole so arranged that rocking the chair rocks the lever and causes the belt to oscillate the wheel with the result that the fan is recipro -cated in the manner described.

5. In a fan attachment for rocking chairs the combination of a supporting mechanism, means for securing the same to the arm of the rocker, a bell crank pivotally mounted thereon, a universal joint in one arm of the bell crank, means for securing the fan to said crank arm in proper position to fan the person in the rocking chair, a wheel pivotally mounted adjacent to the second bell crank arm, means for connecting said wheel and the last mentioned bell crank arm whereby IIO when said wheel is partially or wholly rotated it rocks said bell crank arm, a lever pivotally mounted upon therocker of the chair and a belt secured to said lever on opposite sides of its pivotal bearing passing over said wheel, a roller upon one end of said lever engaging the floor on which the chair stands the whole so arranged that rocking the chair rocks the lever and causes the belt to oscillate the wheel with the result that the fan is reciprocated in the manner described.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed m name in the presence of two witnesses.

- JAMES E. GILBERT. Witnesses:

DWIGHT B. OHEEVER, O. J OHRIs'rOFFEL. 

